The fit of this bra isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn close. I have a fun backstory with this bra though (sorry it's a bit long)-

I've been breastfeeding continuously for 3.5 years. During that time I've been pretty prone to clogs anytime I even LOOK at a wired bra, so I've been mostly wearing bras I affectionately call "stretchy beige tarps." My youngest baby is a little over 1 year old and only nurses twice a day now, so I was VERY excited to make a trip to the local fancy bra boutique (Breakout Bras!) and have a proper fitting. Even before I got pregnant, I was wearing super old stretched out bras. I honestly can't even guess what size they were. In preparation for my fitting, I measured myself and followed the directions on r/ABTF and come up with a size somewhere in the neighborhood of 34G/GG. That seemed about right to me, I knew my band was 34ish but I couldn't find cups big enough in stores. I planned a girls' luncheon with my friends to try on bras, and off we went.

When I got to the bra boutique, the clerk (fitter? salesperson? I don't know her actual title!) gave me a once over in my stretchy beige tarp and declared me a 32HH. I was skeptical I'd be able to breathe, but figured she was the expert, so I eagerly waited while she brought me some bras to try. She brought a mix of Elomi, Fantasie, and Panache bras... everything was VERY full coverage. Not that I really requested super sexy/plunge stuff, but I'm very petite and have a short torso, and full coverage bras always feel like they come up to my neck. (I've since determined that my shape is very short-rooted/high set, narrow, and projected. I'm 5'2" and my bra band in the back is usually only 4-5" above my pants... super short torso.)

So I started trying on these bras, and I could BARELY fasten them... as in, if my ribcage were even 1/4" bigger, it wouldn't have happened. I was worried I was going to break/rip the bras. In hindsight I am certain the wires were probably distorted in everything I tried on. To say I was uncomfortable would be putting it mildly... my "break the tape" measurement is 32.5" and most 32" bands are painful. I told the woman that was helping me, and she dismissed my concerns, and said I'd get used to it. In all the bras I tried on, the straps had to be adjusted as small as they could possibly go. I realize now this was a sign that the cups were probably a bit too big and she was pulling up the slack (and they all still gaped a bit on my smaller side); it didn't actually make the straps too short. What it DID do was pull all the cups straight up into my armpits (I'm sure the super tight band and wire distortion played a part as well). The upper/outer sides of the cups were digging into my Tail of Spence and armpit and the area was red/raw feeling after about half a dozen bras. Again, I was told it was just because I'd been used to nursing bras, and I'd get used to it. She never took any bras back to try a different size, and according to her the band looked great.

Despite these red flags, I really liked several of the bras she brought me. My very very favorite was this bra - the Panache Clara in Duck Egg blue. When it came time to pick one to purchase, I picked a Fantasie Rebecca (basically a beige t shirt bra) and this one in a 32HH. The last step at the boutique is that a manager/supervisor has to come over and "approve" your fit. Well, the manager didn't care for the fit of this one. Not for any of the reasons I would've cited though; she said it looked like the gore and armpit wires were too high on me and even if it were comfy then, it would bother me within a couple of hours. She did not approve it for purchase. (I think I could've bought it anyway, but forfeit returns? or something, I didn't push it.) So even though it was beautiful and I'd made all my friends that were with me come look at it in the dressing room because I loved it so much, I didn't take it home that day... which is probably for the best because it was a 32HH.

I spent the next month obsessively reading bra blogs and reviews and measurements on Bratabase. I ordered a bunch from Amazon Prime just to try different sizes. And, lo and behold, I determined that a 34GG was a MUCH better fit for me in Panache bras! So I bought this one and am very tempted to wear it to the bra boutique, just to show it off. The fit is great now, the band is comfortable, the wires are comfortable (for Panache), the cups fit perfectly (it's like a second skin!), the straps are adjusted properly, it encloses all my tissue, and the cups are not up in my armpits/ToS. It's a bra miracle. I even posted a photo here in Bratabase, I was so excited about the fit. When I opened the package from Amazon and tried it on, angels sang. I lounged in it and read a book in bed, it was THAT comfy.

It's not quite perfect - I am still a short person and it does have a tall gore (it comes higher than the majority of my breast tissue), but I think I can bend it just enough to make it work. I also think I could use just a smidge more projection near the center (just below/beside the gore). The bra fits strangely in that region (it's that inner triangle of fabric near the center), and it creates an oddly flat area, but you can really only feel it, not see it, because of the location. My only other complaint (if you could call it that) is that the wire swings a bit wide under my arm, and ends up about 1" past the end of my breast tissue. It doesn't bother me comfort-wise, just worth noting for others that have narrow roots. The lace around the band is a bit stiff but I fully expect it will soften up after a few washes/wears.

Moral of the story: Don't let someone else tell you what bra you are comfortable in!

Duck egg colorway

This bra is not owned any more

Updated on Nov 29, 2016 Flag this

• Show all comments (7)
• 2

  Way to go!!! Inspiring story :-) :-)

• 2

  And, beautiful!!

• 3

  Awesome! I have a fancy shop 3 miles from my house. I've been there twice. once just to buy extenders. The other time I tried on bras, but hated it. I hated their snotty attitude and how difficult they make everything. I called once asking if they'd be getting a specific bra in in my size, and they said no but they could special order it - yeah, they have NO returns under ANY condition for special orders so why on earth would I do that?

• 2

  I have a love/hate relationship with that store right now. On the one hand, I don't care for the whole fit thing I described above. Who does that? Like, I am trying to give you money. Don't say you won't allow it because you don't think I'm comfortable enough. How condescending! Who can really be a better judge of my comfort than... me?

  On the other hand, it's very convenient to have a great selection of bras (including Comexim!) I can try on within a 30-minute drive. And they do surprise grab bags a few times a year, which is super fun, and they constantly do sales and things for locals. And their fitting tips on the website are great, I see them mentioned all the time! I did complain to a manager about my experience, and they gave me a really good coupon.

  Sigh. Bras are hard.

• 1

  Well, to be fair, when I was a 32J (UK) they only had like 3 bras that fit. Now that I'm a 32JJ it'd probably be even less

• 1

  I'm sorry to hear of your bad experience at Breakout Bras; I order from them occasionally and the fit notes are indeed helpful. But I'm glad you went with your gut and spoke with a manager about your experience. That fitter did not have the right attitude, nor was she very helpful. Hopefully she got the additional training she needed after your conversation with the manger, and it doesn't dissuade you from trying them again in the future.

  It seriously irks me when I read about folks who go in for a fitting and deal with snotty, high and mighty fitters who may know more about fit than you but also don't listen to your concerns or back down and change gears when they're found in the wrong. "Oh, this band is uncomfortably tight?" should be followed by "let's try the next one up" or "let me bring you a different size" not stubborn deflection.

• 2

  They didn't really address it, in that they STILL insist I'm a 32 band and I have to really nag them to even let me try 34 bands. But I do still go there, partially because it's the only option, and partially because I like to support local businesses. I buy most bras online from Poland now, but I also encourage busty friends to go there for fittings (with the caveat that they seem to have reverse letterphobia and you shouldn't hesitate to tell them something is uncomfortable)!

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